Independent Artist Magazine April/May 2013 | Page 4

How to Write a Website Bio That Rocks Chris Bolton

Describing yourself or your brand in a way that really sells can be a daunting task . It ’ s easy to get mired in names , dates , events , influences , history , and other details , while neglecting the more compelling aspects of your story . Your website bio needs to interest your fans , offer value to industry folks , and give journalists and bloggers the info they need to write glowing reviews about you . You want to make it as easy as possible for a reviewer to grab the important and intriguing bits about your project . The easier you make it , the less work they have to do . And that ’ s a good thing . There are two basic elements to a successful bio : The Facts and Your Story . The Facts Figure out what needs to be said and say it . Using bullet points or subject headers will make it easier for someone to scan the page and grab what they need . If you want to expand information you can use hyperlinks to send the curious to external pages . The only rule here : be brief and get to the point . You want to keep your website bio no longer than a page . The Facts You Need : Mission statement ( One or two sentences saying who you are and why you are doing what you are doing .) The people ( This might just be you . A music project would probably list all the band members .) Major accomplishments ( List a few shining moments . Could be a performance , an award , or achievement .) A quote or two from a notable media source .
Your contact info ( Linking to a form or contact page is fine .) Timeline ([ blank ] was formed in 1999 , etc .) Your Story At the heart of any great bio is a story . A good story is something that both your fans and reviewers will be compelled to pass along . It ’ s not only valuable for your bio , it ’ s something that should always be on the tip of your tongue when someone asks you about what you do . Hint : Your story already exists . You just need to find it . Another Hint : Many of your facts may be part of your story . Feel free to sprinkle them in . Finding Your Story A story , in its simplest form , is simply a problem and a resolution . Here ’ s a made-up example : “ We wanted to start a bluegrass band but there were no fiddle players in our town . So , we paid for my little brother to take fiddle lessons , and a year later the Tweed Brothers were born .” Pretty simple , right ? Problem : Need fiddle player Resolution : Trained little brother to play fiddle . What problem , issue , or conflict is at the heart of your project and how are you endeavoring to find resolution ? This can be approached from many different angles . Here are a few examples : Political : “ I wrote ‘ The Forgotten Ones ’ because I was appalled by what I saw going on in the welfare system .”
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